Todd Stroger gets backing of 90 African-American ministers

Clergy members say they want a unified front in the race for Cook County Board president

October 14, 2009|By Hal Dardick and Robert Becker, Tribune reporters

Cook County Board President Todd Stroger formally kicked off his re-election campaign Tuesday with the backing of nearly 90 African-American ministers who say they favor him over three other black candidates in the contest.

Though some of his opponents in the Feb. 2 Democratic primary sought to discount the endorsements, Stroger entered the historic Quinn Chapel AME Church to thunderous applause and thanked the ministers.

Stroger said the ministers' endorsement should give his opponents "some pause in thinking; people don't know how well the county is being run and that I've really saved this health care system."

How helpful the endorsements will be remains to be seen. A recent Tribune poll found Stroger's approval rating stood at 10 percent. In addition to the tax hike, Stroger's administration also has been buffeted by patronage hiring scandals.